Senior Group Leader (Cell Based Production) - Plant Biology Institute

About Eit:

The Ellison Institute of Technology (EIT) purpose is to have a global impact by fundamentally reimagining the way science and technology translate into end-to-end solutions and delivering these solutions in programmes and platforms that respond to humanity’s most challenging problems. Led by a faculty of world experts, EIT seeks to solve the world’s most challenging problems across four high-risk, high-reward, high-impact humane endeavours: Health, Medical Science and Generative Biology; Food security and Sustainable agriculture; Clean Energy Generation and Storage; and Artificial Intelligence and Robotics.

A cornerstone of EIT mission is its upcoming 300,000-square-foot research facility at the Oxford Science Park, set to open in 2027. This cutting-edge campus will feature advanced labs, an oncology and preventative care clinic, and collaborative spaces to strengthen its partnership with the University of Oxford. It will also host the Ellison Scholars, driving innovation for societal benefit.

EIT fosters a culture of collaboration, innovation, and resilience, valuing diverse expertise to drive sustainable solutions to humanity’s enduring challenges.

About The Plant Biology Institute

The Plant Biology Institute, headed by Professor Steve Kelly, is a key part of the Ellison Institute of Technology. The institute aims to develop impactful and commercially sustainable solutions for improving global food production and planetary health through pioneering plant science research.

The Plant Biology Institute will unite world-class researchers who are focused on expanding the frontiers of plant science. Our research is focused on enhancing our ability to feed the planet while simultaneously improving the climate and ecosystem outcomes of food production. By embedding cutting-edge plant science research within an organisation that is focused on solving global challenges at scale, we aim to accelerate the timeline from discovery to global impact.

Areas Of Exploration Include:

• Improved plant productivity, both indoors and outside.
• Reduced reliance on inputs including water, fertilisers, pesticides, and herbicides.
• Novel decarbonised plant-based production platforms for food and medicines.
• Advanced technologies that speed up discovery and deployment in plants. 

Researchers will have access to state-of-the-art laboratory and plant growth facilities and have opportunities to collaborate with experts at the forefront of research on AI, automation, and generative biology across the EIT ecosystem. They will also work with global leaders in market development, commercialisation, and impact creation. The Plant Biology Institute has long-term substantial funding to support the unique scale and ambition of its vision.

EIT is seeking a visionary and accomplished Senior Group Leader in Plant and Cell Tissue Culture to lead a transformative research programme at the forefront of plant biotechnology. This senior leadership role is integral to shaping a newly established and rapidly scaling Plant Biology Institute, which aims to become a global leader in plant science research addressing humanity’s greatest challenges. The successful candidate will spearhead innovative research focused on advancing plant and cell tissue culture for novel decarbonised plant-based production of food and/or medicines, guiding projects from fundamental discovery through to technological development and scalable application. You will build and manage a high-performing, interdisciplinary team, develop cross-sector collaborations, and ensure research excellence is translated into commercial opportunities aligned with EIT’s mission of humane and sustainable innovation. This is a rare opportunity to define the scientific direction of a next-generation research hub tackling some of the planet’s most pressing issues.

Key Responsibilities:

Leadership

• Take a leading role in the establishment and growth of the institute, ensuring that it delivers on its vision to achieve scientific excellence, real world impact and commercial sustainability.
• Develop and lead a world-class research program in plant and cell tissue culture for novel decarbonised plant-based production of food and/or medicines.
• Understand the path to impact for the research program. To design and execute research programs and to ensure that all research programs are value and purpose driven. To guide the pathway from fundamental research to technology development, demonstration to systems development.
• Recruit and lead a top talent team of research scientists including group leaders, post docs and PhD candidates. To hire based on competency, experience and values. To manage based on clear performance targets and with accountability. To maintain a positive, engaged culture, in line with EIT Oxford values.

Collaboration And Communication

• Generate, maintain and manage collaborations with key teams across EIT Oxford and in the wider scientific and commercial ecosystem to accelerate the path to scientific discovery and impact. To maintain key stakeholder relationships.
• Work, where appropriate, with translational teams to translate the results of research into commercial opportunities consistent with EITs humane endeavours. 
• Publish the work of the group in appropriate internationally visible scientific journals and other relevant media. 
• Present the results of the research at national and international meetings and conferences. 
• Plan the scientific direction of the research programme aimed at key questions within the institute. 

 Research Designed for Impact

• Direct the activities of the research group by supervising some projects personally and overseeing projects delegated to group members. You will be expected to provide the intellectual energy and independent thinking necessary to lead a programme of cutting-edge research and to shape the overall aims and success of the group. 
• Determining, obtaining and managing the resource requirements. Including staffing, to sustain the programme. Managing research programme through stage gated milestones, with active, no/no-go decisions based on validated research data. Designing research programmes to enable application engineering requirements to be considered through development and implementation.  Identifying pre-emptive decisions to enable future scale-up.
• Recognising and acting on opportunities for the creation of intellectual property and cooperating in patent protection and in impact delivery. 
• Ensuring the research is conducted in accordance with good practice and in compliance with EIT's policies and legal requirements. 

Requirements

Essential Skills, Qualifications & Experience:

• Leader of research groups within academia or industry.
• Recognised thought leader in their field.
• Proven ability to manage scientific output for a team of PhDs/Post doctoral researchers
• Experience delivering against long term strategic research programs.
• Experience of managing a large team of researchers and scientists including interdisciplinary workstream integration.
• Demonstration of commercial awareness and versatility of research that could serve a wide range of different applications (e.g. oils, pharmaceuticals, foods); Development of partnerships with engineering, technical partners and licensees/channel partners.
• Project management, communication and resource allocation experience.
• Ability to build both internal and external relationships. Working collaboratively with others outside of their discipline.

Benefits

What We Offer:

• Newly constructed, state-of-the-art laboratories and growth facilities with substantial core funding to support a research group.
• A collaborative research environment with highly skilled team working at the cutting edge of plant science to create commercially sustainable solutions that tackle humanities biggest challenges, including enabling sustainable agriculture and improving the climate and ecosystem outcomes of food production.
• Opportunities for professional development including publication, conferences, IP portfolio creation, spin-out generation, and leadership development.

We offer the following salary and benefits:

• Competitive salary
• Enhanced holiday pay
• Pension
• Life Assurance
• Income Protection
• Private Medical Insurance
• Hospital Cash Plan
• Therapy Services
• Perk Box
• Electric Car Scheme

Why Work For Eit:

At the Ellison Institute, we believe a collaborative, inclusive team is key to our success. We are building a supportive environment where creative risks are encouraged, and everyone feels heard. Valuing emotional intelligence, empathy, respect, and resilience, we encourage people to be curious and to have a shared commitment to excellence. Join us and make an impact!

Terms Of Appointment:

• You must have the right to work permanently in the UK with a willingness to travel as necessary.
• You will live in, or within easy commuting distance of, Oxford.
• During peak periods, some longer hours may be required and some working across multiple time zones due to the global nature of the programme.